1
(Fill in the blank)
The way of automation may not be best for _______, but it is the course we are taking.
a. release
b. design
c. humanity
c. humanity
Which word means to give to?
a. function
b. provide
c. design
b. provide
Many people use the words cyborg and android like they are the same, but these words have different meanings. Both mean powered by robotics, but an android is powered just by machinery. Cyborgs are partly powered by something living. They also look different. Androids may be completely mechanical, but they look like humans. They may have robotic skin, hair, and other human-like features. Cyborgs are usually designed in a way that brings out their robot. A cyborg's mechanically enhanced eye may cast a red light or have a chrome plate surrounding it, for instance. You see, though the terms cyborg and android seem similar, they mean different things.
What is one difference between an android and a cyborg?
Cyborgs are powered by something living. Androids look more human.
If you are feeling sad, you can make yourself feel better by doing a few simple things. You can take a walk (or get another form of exercise), you can talk to a friend, or you can write down your feelings. Writing down the good things in your life will help too. Doing something good for someone else will also help you feel better. If you still feel a little sad, act happy. It can work like magic to make you feel better!
The main idea of this passage is:
a. Sometimes people feel sad
b. You should do good things for others
c. We’re not always happy
d. There are many ways to make yourself feel better
d. There are many ways to make yourself feel better
(Fill in the blank) This computer will go on and on doing its work, getting __________ smarter.
a. progressively
b. provided
c. humanity
My grandma may not look very strong, but with the help of hydraulic power, she can stop a car with her foot. How does hydraulic power work? First, fluid is quickly released into a chamber through a valve. As the fluid comes together, the valve is slammed shut. This causes a pressure spike, but since the chamber is sealed, the pressure has nowhere to go. The hydraulic mechanism moves the pressure and provides great power. And that’s how, with the help of hydraulics, my grandma can stop a speeding car with one foot.
What's the first step in hydraulic power?
fluid is released into a chamber through a valve
My dog is called Buttons, and he learns new tricks really quickly. When I say “Hands”, he will give me one of his front paws. He can even walk on two legs when I tell him to. It only took me three days to teach him these tricks. I don’t think other dogs can learn as quickly as Buttons. He is the best.
What is the main idea?
a. My dog is not clever.
b. My dog is the smartest dog.
c. I wish I can be a good dog trainer.
b. My dog is the smartest dog.
Which word means to let go of?
a. function
b. provide
c. release
c. release
Before you put on that skeleton costume and travel door-to-door begging for candy, take a minute to reflect on this tradition. Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back to 2,000 years ago. November 1st was the Celtic New Year and marked the end of summer. The Celts celebrated the evening before by wearing costumes made of animal skins and dancing around bon fires. Over the next 2000 years, this primitive celebration grew to be the candy-fueled costume ball that we know today.
The tradition of Halloween came from a Celtic festival long ago.
Tim and his family went fishing today. They stopped on the way to the lake and bought all of their favorite snacks. When they got to the lake, they ate and then started fishing. Tim caught four fish, and his brother caught three. They laughed and gave each other a high-five every time they caught a fish. The whole family had a great time. Maybe they would go fishing again soon.
Tim's family had a great time going fishing.
Did you know that giraffes are the tallest animals in the world? They are unique in other ways, too. For one thing, they sleep only about 20 minutes each day and, usually, not more than five minutes at a time. (They have to remain alert for predators.) Also, every giraffe’s coat is unique and varies in color from white to nearly black, depending on what they eat and where they live.
The main idea of this passage is:
a. Giraffes don’t sleep very much.
b. Giraffes are unique animals.
c. There are many animals in the world.
d. No animal is taller than a giraffe.
b. Giraffes are unique animals.
It is a widely known fact that machines are stronger than people. Is it possible for them to become smarter than us too? Some scientists fear that it is, or so says the theory of technological singularity. Basically, the theory of technological singularity says that there will be a moment when a computer can improve its own capabilities. This computer will go on and on doing its work, getting progressively smarter. This fact will lead to machines becoming smarter than people, or so the theory goes. Such gains in available intelligence might lead to huge improvements in science and medicine. Diseases could be cured! But it could also lead to the total control or replacement of mankind by robots, which would be bad. If the latter were the case, I, for one, would welcome our new computer bosses.
According to the paragraph, what is one reason computers getting smarter is a good thing?
They could help cure diseases.
any people use the words cyborg and android like they are the same, but these words have different meanings. Both mean powered by robotics, but an android is powered just by machinery. Cyborgs are partly powered by something living. They also look different. Androids may be completely mechanical, but they look like humans. They may have robotic skin, hair, and other human-like features. Cyborgs are usually designed in a way that brings out their robot. A cyborg's mechanically enhanced eye may cast a red light or have a chrome plate surrounding it, for instance. You see, though the terms cyborg and android seem similar, they mean different things.
Which one looks more human, an android or a cyborg?
An android
Some people think that some holidays celebrating love are nothing but clever ploys by marketers to sell candy, flowers, and stuffed animals. Who cares? In America, we celebrate two love themed holidays: Valentine's Day and Sweetest Day. Valentine's Day is celebrated in the winter, while Sweetest Day is celebrated in the fall. Valentine's Day is focused on bringing lovers together. Sweetest Day is purported to be for all the friends, relatives, and associates whose kindness we've enjoyed. Both occasions are great times to celebrate what's most important: the people we love.
There are two holidays where we can celebrate the people we love: Valentine's Day and Sweetest Day.
The first ukuleles were developed in Hawaii in the 1800s as a result of Portuguese influence. Native Hawaiians enjoyed music from a Portuguese instrument called the machete and adapted it to suit Hawaiian tastes. The ukulele spread to mainland America during the 1910s, where it became an immediate sensation. They quickly became very popular because they could be quickly and cheaply made from a small amount of wood. After the World Wars, plastic ukuleles revitalized the declining ukulele fad by making them even more affordable to the average American. Today, ukuleles are still enjoyed by many enthusiasts and come in a wide variety of shapes and sounds.
What is the central idea of today’s passage?
a. Plastic ukuleles are important classical instruments.
b. Ukuleles developed in Hawaii and are still popular today.
c. Portuguese instruments inspired the ukulele.
b. Ukuleles developed in Hawaii and are still popular today.
My grandma may not look very strong, but with the help of hydraulic power, she can stop a car with her foot. How does hydraulic power work? First, fluid is quickly released into a chamber through a valve. As the fluid comes together, the valve is slammed shut. This causes a pressure spike, but since the chamber is sealed, the pressure has nowhere to go. The hydraulic mechanism moves the pressure and provides great power. And that’s how, with the help of hydraulics, my grandma can stop a speeding car with one foot.
Fluid comes together, leading a valve to do what? (open or close)
close
It is a widely known fact that machines are stronger than people. Is it possible for them to become smarter than us too? Some scientists fear that it is, or so says the theory of technological singularity. Basically, the theory of technological singularity says that there will be a moment when a computer can improve its own capabilities. This computer will go on and on doing its work, getting progressively smarter. This fact will lead to machines becoming smarter than people, or so the theory goes. Such gains in available intelligence might lead to huge improvements in science and medicine. Diseases could be cured! But it could also lead to the total control or replacement of mankind by robots, which would be bad. If the latter were the case, I, for one, would welcome our new computer bosses.
True or False: Technological singularity means computers will never get smarter.
False
any people use the words cyborg and android like they are the same, but these words have different meanings. Both mean powered by robotics, but an android is powered just by machinery. Cyborgs are partly powered by something living. They also look different. Androids may be completely mechanical, but they look like humans. They may have robotic skin, hair, and other human-like features. Cyborgs are usually designed in a way that brings out their robot. A cyborg's mechanically enhanced eye may cast a red light or have a chrome plate surrounding it, for instance. You see, though the terms cyborg and android seem similar, they mean different things.
True or False: Cyborgs are made too look more human than androids
False
Yellowstone National Park is mainly located in Wyoming, although three percent is located in the state of Montana. The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of the park. The park sits on the Yellowstone Plateau, which is an average elevation of 8,000 feet above sea level. This plateau is bounded on nearly all sides by mountain ranges. There are 290 waterfalls that are at least fifteen feet in the park, the highest being the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, which falls 308 feet.
The location and features of Yellowstone National Park
For most of human history, people thought that the Earth was the center of the Universe. But Nicolaus Copernicus changed this when he theorized that sun was the center of the universe. Interestingly, Copernicus had most of this figured out some time around 1514. His work was not described in written text until 1532. Yet, publication of this text was not completed until 1543 as he lay dying. Some scholars believe that Copernicus delayed publishing this work because it went against the Catholic Church's view that the Earth was at the center of the Universe.
Copernicus discovered that the sun was the center of the universe.`
My grandma may not look very strong, but with the help of hydraulic power, she can stop a car with her foot. How does hydraulic power work? First, fluid is quickly released into a chamber through a valve. As the fluid comes together, the valve is slammed shut. This causes a pressure spike, but since the chamber is sealed, the pressure has nowhere to go. The hydraulic mechanism moves the pressure and provides great power. And that’s how, with the help of hydraulics, my grandma can stop a speeding car with one foot.
(1) True or False: The author of this text uses the example of his grandmother stopping a car to show the reader a real-world example of how hard it is to drive for older people. (2) If false, how can you fix it?
False.
It is a widely known fact that machines are stronger than people. Is it possible for them to become smarter than us too? Some scientists fear that it is, or so says the theory of technological singularity. Basically, the theory of technological singularity says that there will be a moment when a computer can improve its own capabilities. This computer will go on and on doing its work, getting progressively smarter. This fact will lead to machines becoming smarter than people, or so the theory goes. Such gains in available intelligence might lead to huge improvements in science and medicine. Diseases could be cured! But it could also lead to the total control or replacement of mankind by robots, which would be bad. If the latter were the case, I, for one, would welcome our new computer bosses.
Why might scientists be afraid of technological singularity?
Computers or technology could completely replace humans.
any people use the words cyborg and android like they are the same, but these words have different meanings. Both mean powered by robotics, but an android is powered just by machinery. Cyborgs are partly powered by something living. They also look different. Androids may be completely mechanical, but they look like humans. They may have robotic skin, hair, and other human-like features. Cyborgs are usually designed in a way that brings out their robot. A cyborg's mechanically enhanced eye may cast a red light or have a chrome plate surrounding it, for instance. You see, though the terms cyborg and android seem similar, they mean different things.
What is the structure of this text? (problem/solution; compare/contrast; biography)
My grandma may not look very strong, but with the help of hydraulic power, she can stop a car with her foot. How does hydraulic power work? First, fluid is rapidly released into a chamber through a valve. As the fluid collects, the valve is slammed shut. This causes a pressure spike, but since the chamber is sealed, the pressure has nowhere to go. The hydraulic mechanism channels the pressure and provides great power. And that's how, with the help of hydraulics, my grandma can stop a speeding car with one foot.
How hydraulic power works
What do you get when you cross a robot and an astronaut? A Robonaut! Robonauts are robot helpers designed to work side-by-side with astronauts. Work on the first Robonaut began in 1997, and by 2002 Robonaut B was revealed to the public. Robonaut B featured interchangeable lower bodies, like four-wheel mode or hydraulic legs. Yet scientists and engineers continued to improve Robonaut. In February of 2010, Robonaut 2 was released to the public. Robonaut 2 moved four times faster than the first Robonaut. An advanced version of Robonaut 2 was finally tested in outer space in 2011. Robonaut 2 functioned exactly as designed.
A Robonaut was invented, which combined a robot and an astronaut, and the invention is improving over time.